Pre-trip checklist

Need a checklist of pre-trip?

Here are my suggestions to get started ...

One month before:

If you do not already have one, enter an e-mail to stay in touch. To keep in touch throughout the world, I use a Yahoo email address. Since Yahoo is accessible from any computer in the world, so is my e-mail. If you set up a new account, use only letters and numbers in your ID and password. Make your own list of contacts. There have been times when I had trouble findingForeign symbols on keyboards, including the @ symbol.

I scan my important documents and e-mail to my Yahoo address. If I need a copy, I can access my account via e-mail

Verifying ATM card uses a 4-digit PIN. And you know your PIN by the numbers not letters. Most international ATM machines only have numbers on them.

Call your bank and credit card companies and let them know that you're gone and where. Carry more than a credit card in case of emergency.

For aPurse, wallet I use Magellan's Secret Deluxe Waist. I find it very convenient and easily accessible.

Make sure that the state of your luggage and replace if necessary. They differ in some way: neon luggage straps yarn bow on the handles, colored tape on the sides,

Make copies of your itinerary in your suitcase.

Learn how to make calls abroad from the country you are visiting. If you want to take your phone, your phone callProvider of information.

If you have a pet, do pet sitting areas.

Confirm all your reservations. If this is a journey by car, take your car in an investigation.

Check your wardrobe. You have the right clothes for your trip? Otherwise, go shopping

One week before:

Put your newspaper on the party to stop.

Keep your e-mail or for someone to take it.

Prepare emergency contact information to leave with friends and neighbors.

CheckYour medications. Do you have enough for your trip and possible delays in emergency?

By public transportation? Plan your trip airport / train station / port / etc

Gather all the documents in one place. Put copies in a different place.

Get your camera and accessories ready. Enter your camera's manual and extra batteries for the charger. Read the fine print on the back of the charger.
Most of the taxes now working with two streams and that's itshould lead socket adapter.

Two days ahead:

Put your lights on timers.

Imagine too busy "kit" for you and all who are traveling with books, puzzles, toys, etc.

Watch the weather at your destination to make sure you wear the right clothes.

Eating out or perishable items, that are in your refrigerator.

The bag should drive with drugs and all that are not easily interchangeable with your packedDestination.

Make money for your trip. For travel within the country, travelers checks are fine, but at international level can be very difficult to convert. The ATM is usually the best way to get local currency

One day before:

Take your pet to the kennel, or if the stay at home to confirm arrangements with the Pet Sitter.

Water your plants.

Customize the A / C or heat according to

When traveling domestically, you can print your boarding pass.

Contain someSnacks in your carryon, especially when traveling in the U.S. where the airlines do not feed us anymore.

Set the alarm and sleep well at night.

Review Melissa and Doug Toys

Melissa and Doug Toys have been in business for the past twenty years. Their line of wooden toys has been expanding every year until they are one of the top makers of wooden puzzles. ALL of their toys either meet or exceed the US governments standards for safety in toys.

I love these toys! Many of them bring me back to my own childhood and that of my children. The wooden puzzles are fantastic. Besides the usual ABC and 124, wooden puzzles, they offer animals, cars, trucks, and shape puzzles. Many of the wooden puzzles have sounds to help your children learn their shapes, numbers or alphabet.

The shape sorter selection is great. Solid wooden boxes with cutouts for standard shapes and even one for the shapes of animals, will delight your younger children. They also offer the cutest assortment of push clacker" toys I've ever seen on one place. There is a duck clacker, an elephant clacker even an alligator!

If your children are budding artists, they will love the assortment of arts and crafts available. A particular favorite of mine is the wooden treasure chest that your child can decorate themselves. Everything needed to make an imaginative and original item is included. Their easels are solid and sturdy and either come alone or with paint, chalk and crayon accessories.

Dollhouses?? Oh yes! beautiful wooden dollhouses, some furnished and if they aren't, their are room packages available. Wonderfully detailed and not just doll houses! There is a barn and a stable for all the horse lovers; a castle for your knight in shining armor or your little princess.

Doll furniture like cribs, beds and even a high chair are made to take years of loving abuse!
A particular favorite of mine is the Tree House. It has a pulley systems, working trap door, porch swing, hammock and retractable stairs. It's about 20" high and is sure to please even the most discerning youngster.

Plush Animals are a favorite of the younger children and Melissa and Doug Toys have not left them out. There are wonderful white tigers, bears, dogs of all breeds and even a huge giraffe. These plush animals will delight your toddlers and offer that extra ounce of comfort when needed.

How Can You Use Learning Toys To Teach A Two Year Old?

If you are the parent of a two year old, you have probably already encountered some of the problems that parents face with teaching a curious and active child. Since two year old children are already learning their physical skill capabilities, it might be time to find ways to encourage better hand-eye coordination, along with developing their mental skills. Learning toys for toddlers can add a new dimension to their playtime because there are educational toys that are perfectly suited to stimulate their mental creativity.

Simple crafts and artwork are things that two-year olds love to do, but toys like puzzles and building blocks can help them express their creativity and learn at the same time. Finding the perfect learning toys for two year olds might seem difficult at first, but most of the major toy manufacturers have done research on those that are most effective. Through time-proven research, they have developed playthings that provide interactive education, while providing hours of fun for your toddlers.

Activity sets and educational games can be colorful, educational and provide simple fun for two-year old children. Bath toys like fishing games, preschool laptop toys and even beach play sets are learning toys that allow a toddler the opportunity to use a variety of skills in various settings. Ride-on toys, push toys and easy wooden puzzles, wooden maze toys or activity tool sets can help toddlers learn different activities that keep their minds and hands occupied. Having fun with entertaining learning toys can make teaching your child an effortless task, while keeping them from becoming bored.

There are many different learning toys to consider for this age group, but there are some children that might be more advanced physically or mentally, than others. As a parent, you just need to consider some of the age-specific toys for toddlers and you are sure to find the ones your child will enjoy playing with and learning with. The best way for parents to learn about the perfect educational playthings can be from other parents. Two year olds can be challenging, but teaching your child can be simple, when you take advantage of educational toys and games that are specifically designed for them.

Toddler Educational Toys Can Make Learning Fun

Toddler educational toys can have many definitions. To put it simply, it may mean that the development of teaching skills. It could also be a child to develop their creativity and explore their imagination. Educational me also means development. This is the ultimate goal of learning for the child during the game.

There are some really great games and toys on the market for small children, the education level is high. I think these are great foryour child. Just always keep in mind that you want your toddler to have FUN while learning. You want them to always associate learning as FUN.

If toddler educational toys can encourage your toddler to become interested in letters and Math skills, then they will carry that interest with them throughout the rest of their school years. It is about starting good habits to last a lifetime. I talk about this often. You start your child out young learning good habits.

Toys can make learning FUN. If your toddler is excited and having FUN while playing, they are going to want to play more there fore learn more. Simple but true. I am speaking from experience Moms and Dads. I have a 3 year old and my husband and I have taken this approach and it has worked.

When my son started pre-school, his teachers were blown away by what he already knew. From his colors to his shapes and even his numbers and counting. He started out ahead, because we helped prepare him for pre-school. The funny part about it was that JeNoah didn't even know it. That is why it is important as parents to make the proper choices even in their toys. You know what else? He had just as much FUN when he played with his toys, or when he played video games. Just as much FUN but was learning at the same time. It just doesn't get any better than that. I have a few tips and advice that will help you know what to look for when choosing toddler educational

Melissa and Doug Train Sets - The Teaching Toys

Many parents and teachers are very familiar with the Melissa and Doug toys. This brand is among the most renowned in the field of educational toys like wooden puzzles and other toys for younger children. And one of the classic and much loved by children, the characteristics of Melissa and Doug.

The wooden trains are a great way to get your child to be creative and to develop a contribution to their logical thought. Almost everything you needreconstruct the actual amazing world of train adventure is included in every Melissa and Doug train package. Each train set usually has more than 130 pieces of train and railroad items. They are strategically designed and well-made to take your child's imagination to the make believe world of train yards.

You can find tracks that go up in order to move the trains to the top. There is also a large roundhouse engine outbuilding. Included in the package are numerous tracks that form the bends and straight lines. In addition, traffic signs, trees, and workers add up to create the life-like feel of the railroad life. Also included are various kinds of trains, switches, magnetic-tipped cranes, suspension bridge, T-junctions for passing lanes, roundtable, and trestle bridges. With all of these pieces, you and your child can definitely build the sort of train station that you want.

Truly, the Melissa and Doug train set can carry a young imagination to new heights. It can also provide endless excitement and fun for the kids. The toys are high quality and known in every household as well as classrooms for being versatile. Buying this classic wooden railway train set will not be a waste of money since you can actually pass it on to the next generation if taken care of properly.

The durable solid wood the train set was constructed from will provide many years of happy railroad playing. There are some parts however, which are made from other materials like sturdy plastic and steel suspension bridge, steel rivets on trucks and trains, plastic wheels, steel and small set screws as accessories. Other than those mentioned here, the rest of the Melissa and Doug train set in solid wood.

All accessories and pieces of track are ground to make a smooth surface. The screws are driven in depth, so that the surface of the elements is smooth and even for small hands. Also, took down the title andeasily, so there is no other tool needed to link all the pieces together. With more than a hundred pieces of tracks to link and bridges to work on, the main challenge for your child is to be and remain organized in order to assemble all the bits correctly.

To conclude, from the humble beginnings of Melissa & Doug, the company has turned out to be one of the most respected and world renowned toy makers of today. The toys that they have produced through the years have reaped many "Best Toy" awards ceremony for parents and educators of the body. Because of their popularity Melissa and Doug in television shows and print media have been identified.

Learning Toys Let Your Kids Have Fun While They Learn

Today you are fortunate to gift your children with educational toys which help them to have fun and at the same time learn a lot. The toys are aimed towards the development of a young child's creativity skills and metal abilities. Certain toys also help in the physical development of children; you can sum it up by saying that learning toys enhance the all round development of a young child.

There are learning toys designed for all ages. The toys for an infant will be different from that of a toddler's or a teenager's. When you are shopping for learning toys, try to analyze what your child will achieve from playing with the stuff. Good learning toys are made from non-toxic elements, do not have sharp edges that can hurt a child, and are also brightly colored. The child should be interested to play with a learning toy, only then will the target be achieved.

Learning toys need not be expensive; look for the appropriate toys at the stores. The best place for finding educational toys is online. You can have simple stacking toys, like building blocks for putting the mental ability of the children to test. With building blocks, kids can differentiate among the different sizes, shapes and colors of the blocks. Jigsaw puzzles and word puzzles help increase the mental ability and the vocabulary of your children.

Painting and drawing sets help a child be more creative. A child can express herself or himself better with art supplies, such as crayons, markers, safety scissors and heavy construction paper. Learning toys can be simple and great tools for education.

For youngsters, you can also have video games. Remember, it is best to avoid gifting video games which do not help in the development of a child. Refrain from gifting video or electronic games to babies.

Why look online for educational toys?

The point of looking online for educational toys is that reputed online stores have toys categorized according to the ages of children. A reputed site will have the different toys displayed; all you have to do is go through them and select the one you want for your baby or youngster.

The prices are also mentioned for each toy. This is good as it will help you make a buy within your budget. Also find out about the shipping policies and the process of delivery of the online store that you have selected. Research learning toys well online and make a smart buy.

Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles

Any mention of Christmas can turn the mind immediately to scrumptiously delicious treats. After having had your fill of them you can relax your body and exercise your mind with a few food-related jigsaw puzzles. Christmas cookies, candy canes, fruitcakes, and gingerbread houses are examples of food themes related to Christmas. This type of Christmas jigsaw puzzles are a hit with children as they really look forward to Christmas treats. These puzzles are in keeping with the flavor of the season.

When Christmas beckons everyone gets busy bringing down decorations from their attics. Christmas jigsaw puzzles with decoration as the underlying theme appeals to everybody and goes with the mood of the day. Christmas candles, Christmas centerpiece, Christmas lights, Christmas ornaments, Christmas tree, etc., are themes used in jigsaw puzzles related to Christmas decorations.

Warm family feelings come to the fore during Christmas season. Happy fun filled family times are the order of the day. Jigsaw puzzles make for great family fun times. Themes like Christmas at home, Christmas greetings, Christmas kitten, holiday greetings, and home for Christmas are jigsaw themes that suit the occasion well.

The true spirit of Christmas is driven home by the use of several symbols. These symbols are available in jigsaw puzzle form, as well. Some examples are holly, the meaning of Christmas, mistletoe, pinecone, angel, church, carolers and wreath. These typical Christmas symbols make great pictures for jigsaw puzzles. Solving these puzzles familiarizes children with these symbols. Conversation about these symbols goes a long way in introducing the concept of the true spirit of Christmas.

Santa, his entourage and his sack of gifts are also very popularly used themes in jigsaw puzzles. All toy shops carry a wide range of Santa jigsaw puzzles.

Jigsaw puzzles are great for exercising the brain in a fun way. And by integrating the theme of Christmas with them they play a dual role of exercising the brain as well as familiarizing Christmas and the related symbols and values.